TdF stages 1 and 2

[ColinJ]

Someone will need to put a strong note in the race guide for stage 1 about the dangers of stopping for a 'natural break' on Buttertubs Pass. I walked away from the road to take a pee on a C+ forum ride and almost ended up slipping down one of the 'Buttertubs' ...

(Photo on Geograph copyright Steve Daniels.)

 

[DCLane]

The Day 2 from Huddersfield is pretty much the route I've been doing all summer last year.

Looks good - Day 1 at least looks like they're doing Buttertubs, if not Fleet Moss.

 

[Snarf]

As a newbie to road cycling and as I'm getting my first road bike tomorrow (Raleigh Revenio 1) all this news on 2014 is getting me very excited and I may attempt some of Stage 1 myself this summer (Please note "some" may indicate 5 miles or 50...)

 

[ColinJ]

I'm busy plotting the route of stage 2. The route is very obvious between Harrogate and Langsett, but I'm having to guess the bits in York and Sheffield, not that they add much to the difficulty of the stage.

There is a confusing looking bit on the rough map provided by letour.yorkshire.com - there appears to be a loop which crosses itself on the run into Sheffield near the Meadowhall Shopping Centre. There must be some mistake there, because there wouldn't necessarily be time for the entire peloton to pass before the leaders needed to cross and you can't have one part of the race blocking another. Still, I'll just put that in for now until somebody clarifies the position.

The more time I spend checking out the route, the harder it looks! It goes up Ripponden Bank on the way over to Elland and that is quite a nasty little climb - link.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Colin...less talky talky more plotting!!

 

[lanternerouge]

V v excited about this!! http://letour.yorkshire.com/the-route

Just going to be awesome 533 days to go according to he Le Tour Yorkshire website!

 

[derrick]

It's coming through Epping, that will do for me.

 

[ColinJ]

My software is saying that stage 2 has nearly 4,000 metres of climbing but it always exaggerates, so I reckon more like 3,200 metres of significant climbs, still - that is a pretty tough day out!

I know the TdF has the best riders in the world, but the surface dressing on these roads is pretty 'draggy' so they are very hard work. The great Robert Millar once described the organisers of the Leeds Classic as 'taking the p*ss' for using a route like this one.

There will be casualties unless the peloton decide that they don't fancy really racing. If they get a really wet day for it, it could be horrendous!

 

[Kestevan]

Well, now I've got a bit of a quandry.

Do I walk a couple of miles up the road and spend hours battling with crowds of people to see them ride up Holme Moss, or just open the french windows in the dining room and watch them ride past on the main road whilst I sit on the couch drinking beer?

I think the Moss might just win, but probably not if it's raining

 

[sheddy]

is there a thread for stage 3 ?

 

[I like Skol]

I bet there'll be a few CC faces up on the moss that day- i've booked it off already. How much cider can one fit in an ortleib pannier?

Where shall we pitch our tents Dan_bo? I reckon I can get a full day/nights worth of Skol in my panniers and a Saturday night spent camping with forum friends sounds perfect.

 

[Chrisc]

My software is saying that stage 2 has nearly 4,000 metres of climbing but it always exaggerates, so I reckon more like 3,200 metres of significant climbs, still - that is a pretty tough day out!

I know the TdF has the best riders in the world, but the surface dressing on these roads is pretty 'draggy' so they are very hard work. The great Robert Millar once described the organisers of the Leeds Classic as 'taking the p*ss' for using a route like this one.

There will be casualties unless the peloton decide that they don't fancy really racing. If they get a really wet day for it, it could be horrendous!

It is tricky sorting out the start and finish but my best guess is close to your estimate at 130 miles and 3600m of uphill for them to get through and I too reckon the continental riders will get a bit of a surprise at the suction these roads exert.

 

[johnr]

V v excited about this!! http://letour.yorkshire.com/the-route

Just going to be awesome 533 days to go according to he Le Tour Yorkshire website!

1 year, five months, two weeks, 3 days, 11 hours, 22 minutes and 10 seconds according to my countdown ap

 

[ColinJ]

Beat me to it, Chrisc!

Near enough 100 miles are either uphill or downhill so I could see the peloton getting blown to bits if enough decent riders got stuck in after 40 or 50 miles.

 

[atbman]

From the Bradford Telegraph & Argus:
Click here to see a full map of Stage One: Leeds – Harewood – Otley – Ilkley – Skipton – Kettlewell – Aysgarth – Hawes – Reeth – Leyburn – Ripon – Harrogate
Click here to see a full map of Stage Two: York – Knaresborough – Silsden – Keighley – Haworth – Hebden Bridge – Elland – Huddersfield – Holmfirth – Sheffield